Syria’s Ambassador Urges all Countries to Join Syria and Russia Against Terrorism

The Syrian ambassador in Moscow Riyad Haddad said the Russian airstrikes in Syria are primarily meant to combat international terrorism classified thus by unanimously-adopted UN resolutions.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Thursday, Haddad said the Russian intervention came at an official request by the Syrian legitimate leadership that President Bashar al-Assad represents, adding that the request is in compliance with the international law and the UN Charter.

The Russian air force is fully coordinating with the Syrian army, he added, indicating that the importance of the Russian strikes in Syria will soon be felt by all.

“Those who want the law of the jungle can sit on their hands…and those who want the international law honored and the prestige of the international organization kept up should side with Russia and Syria,” the ambassador added.

He warned that terrorism will not stop at Syria’s borders. “Numerous international resolutions have been issued that demand all to combat and eliminate terrorism, not calibrate it according to the interests of some countries.”

The ambassador criticized the US-led anti-terrorism coalition which, one year after its creation, has led to a doubling in the numbers of ISIS recruits and in the areas they control.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated on Thursday that the target behind Russian military operations in Syria is combating the Islamic State (ISIS), Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations.

“The purpose of the Russian military process in Syria is fighting terrorism, not supporting any side,” Lavrov said at a press conference in New York, adding that the Russian air force targets in Syria depots and oil of ISIS.

“We have clearly said that our operations in Syria came in response to a request by President Bashar al-Assad and in light of a decision by Russian Federation Council and the Russian constitution as well,” Lavrov affirmed.

He added that the western coalition has no legal reference to act in the Syrian territories; neither can it carry out operations on lands of a sovereign country without going to the government of this state or to Security Council.

“Since the outbreak of crisis in Syria, Russia cooperates with China to prevent other sides from taking extremist stances, including the use of force against Syria,” Lavrov said.

As for differences between Russia and the US about how to settle the crisis in Syria, Lavrov affirmed that the last meeting between Presidents Putin and Obama has been held within a constructive atmosphere where the two sides exchanged viewpoints in a clear way and there was an understanding between them, but, adding Lavrov, it didn’t lead in any way to full cooperation.

“Settling the crisis in Syria requires reviewing Geneva communiqué context which stipulates transitional body on which the Americans say that President al-Assad has to leave, but we call on them to review this article of the communiqué as this should depend on the full acceptance by all Syrian sides,” Lavrov said.

He considered that any statements about illegitimacy of the Syrian regime are “hypocrisy” as they have considered it legitimate when talks were focusing on settling the chemical weapons files, but when they were asked to cooperate with the legitimate government after eliminating the chemical weapons, they don’t want to go to this government.

He saw that having the initiative of UN Envoy to Syria succeed requires a support by all international players, including the US, Russia, China and other regional countries.

Mazen Eyon

Al-Moallem: We have full confidence in Russia and President Putin
New York, SANA

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem asserted that Syria has full confidence in the position of Russia and in President Vladimir Putin when it comes to fighting terrorism.

Al-Moallem told RT TV channel on Wednesday that there is no doubt that Syria has full confidence in the Russian position and in President Vladimir Putin who made Russia’s position about counter-terrorism clear.

He said that Syria doesn’t trust the U.S. position at all, nor does it trust the alliance it called for, adding “they carried out over 9,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria and we haven’t seen any results, so we support what President Putin does in this regard.”

Earlier on Tuesday, al-Moallem told journalists in New York that Russian-Syrian-Iranian-Iraqi cooperation against ISIS will be very useful in putting an end to terrorism.